Next time
by whumpqueen
Summary: What happened in Torchwood during the events of "Boomtown"? How does Jack react to having the Doctor so close yet he isn't able to talk to him. rated T to be safe. Review please. Disclaimer, I don't own Torchwood.
1. Chapter 1

When he saw the paper, he knew he couldn't run from it anymore. He would have to let the Doctor slip through his fingers. Jack stared coldly at the picture of Margaret Blaine and saw only the Slitheen in a dead woman's skin and chuckled at the headline "New Mayor, New Cardiff", oh if only they knew. He couldn't think about that at the moment, he had to put his plan into action.

He had been preparing for this day since he took over Torchwood and had grown anxious since the announcement of the Blaidd Drwg project and had to steer his team away from investigating several times. He had been counting the days until it had finally arrived and his heart fell knowing the Doctor was on his doorstep but still out of reach.

Walking to his office door Jack scanned the hub for his team. He saw Toshiko hard at work translating alien languages with the help of some new tech that had fallen through the rift. Owen was currently dissecting an unknown alien and had removed a particularly disgusting organ and was threatening Suzie with it. Jack walked over to the cog wheel door and initiated lockdown procedures. The lights flickered and all the computers began to re-start. Tosh looked over at Jack whose hand was still on the lockdown button and was shocked when he just winked and walked back to his office.

At that point Suzie and Owen noticed what was happening and after a few exclamations of surprise they joined Tosh in the main area. Tosh, not knowing what else to do shrugged her shoulders and pointed to Jack's office and the three converged on it without a word.

"What the hell are you up to Harkness?" Owen demanded. "Hmm?" Jack looked up feigning innocence. "We know you put us on lockdown, why? And why wasn't I told. I'm supposed to be second in command here." Suzie said putting emphasis on supposed. Jack picked up his coffee and after taking a sip replied "it's just something I need to take care of, or did, will… timelines are a bit mixed up." Jack trailed off mumbling the last sentence. Suzie recognized the tone in his voice and knew he wasn't going to say anymore on the subject.

"Fine, have it your way, don't tell us." Suzie said in exasperation and left to do what work she could while she waited for her computer to come back on.

Owen, with a defiant look in his eyes declared, "I will find out what you are up to Harkness." With that Owen returned to his alien leaving Tosh standing there alone.

Quietly she said, "Jack just promise me this is for a good reason, something that is worth missing rift alerts today." With a smile Jack replied, "Don't worry, those are covered today." With another wink Jack sent a confused Tosh off to get her computers back up and running.


	2. Chapter 2

Later that evening the hub began to shake violently as if there was an earthquake and the rift alerts began to go crazy. "Jack what's going on? My monitor says the rift is opening!" Tosh shouted her voice full of fear. Suzie screamed as bits of the hub collapsed almost on top of her. Owen grabbed her and pulled her away as rubble fell on her workstation. They rushed to Jack's office but froze in shock when they saw he was sitting there drinking coffee and doing a field report.

"What the Hell?" Owen exclaimed out of utter disbelief. He had no idea how the man could sit so calmly and do paperwork when the world was falling apart. Tosh glanced at her screens and repeated what she had said earlier, "The rift is opening Jack." "Don't worry, I took care of it", was all Jack said in reply. "I can see that Jack, great job." Suzie said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "let me rephrase, I am taking care of it." Jack said almost annoyed. "Taking care of it? You are drinking coffee, how the bloody hell does that help?" Owen yelled.

Jack flipped his screen to a bit of CCTV footage recorded about an hour ago of himself entering a strange blue box with some alien tech in his hands, then to the current footage of the Plas that showed the box to be at the epicenter of the rift disturbance. "See, taken care of." Jack replied.

The team watched in stunned silence as they watched as three more people ran into the box and one of them was Margaret Blaine, the mayor. "What…" was all Tosh managed to say. "Who is that and why did the mayor just go into that box?" Suzie demanded. Owen quickly added, "And more importantly how do you all fit in there?"

"Mayor? Oh you mean Blond Fel Fotch, alien. From Raxacoricofallapatorius, if I remember correctly. And to answer your question Owen, it's bigger on the inside," Jack replied with a smile and a mischievous glint in his eye. Owen, shocked didn't know what to say or whether to believe what his Captain had just said.

"answer my first question Jack, who is that and why does he look like you?" Suzie demanded. "me, I thought I said that already." Jack said matter-of-factly. Owen leaned forward to look at a freeze frame of the somewhat younger Jack, "What are you wearing?" he scoffed at the younger man's getup. "Hey!" Jack said defensively, "that was all the rage in the 36th century."

At that, his team stood staring at him as the hub grew still and the rift alerts went silent. "See, nothing to worry about. Day saved and I managed to avoid a paradox." Jack said as he grabbed his coat, took the hub out of lockdown and headed up to the Plas leaving his team openmouthed where they stood.

He reached the Plas in time to see Rose enter the Tardis and thought he managed to get a glimpse of the Doctor. Jack stood there and watched the Tardis dematerialize. "Next time Doctor, next time." Jack whispered as he turned to go back to the hub.


End file.
